I love scented candles. I don’t know…my explanation to people is usually “chicks dig stuff that smells like stuff”. It’s true though isn’t it? Also the soft light of a candle is very soothing and comforting, even in a brightly lit room. ANYWAY, Bath & Body Works had a sale over Memorial Day Weekend for their lovely candles, so I dragged Mr. Boyfriend in after brunch and we picked up some new scents.
1.3 oz Mini Candles (2/$5, reg. $3.50 ea.) 10-15 hour burn time
Verbena Waters – Bright citrus, blooming verbena, watery peach, rich sandalwood.
Mr. Boyfriend actually first noticed this scent and held it up for me to sniff (did you know that if you sniff the lids of candles you’ll get a better idea of what the burn scent will be than if you just sniff the wax?). I had read about it online and I wasn’t expecting to like it nearly as much as I do! Thankfully, the sandalwood is not a big part of this fragrance as it’s not a favorite scent of mine. Verbena Waters smells very green, fresh, and light. It’s not an in your face fragrance. If you like lightly earthy scents you’ll enjoy this one. Mr. Boyfriend likes grassy scents, and we were originally going in for him to sniff the Green Grass candle, but he liked this one better (so did I!).
Coconut Water – Coconut milk, sheer vanilla, subtle pineapple & citrus notes.
I have recently discovered that Mr. Boyfriend does not like the scent of coconuts, so I got my coconut fix in mini form (as to not saturate the entire office with coconut since these mini guys don’t have the greatest throw). Even though I think the coconut water as “it” beverage is dumb (really, have you guys TASTED that stuff? GROSS.), this candle smells yummy. I think the coconut isn’t as in your face as with some other coconut scented candles. The fruity notes really help that, tempering the overpowering sweetness of coconut with something a little brighter and sharper.
Summer Boardwalk – Caramel popcorn, taffy-apples, and salted sweet cream.
Holy crap. This is a STRONG scent. It was burning when we got to the store and it’s very very bold. The caramel and popcorn are almost overpowering, but the salted sweet cream makes an appearance too. I can’t smell the taffy-apples, but that’s okay. If you liked the Salty Caramel candle from last year, you’ll love Summer Boardwalk. I got this in a mini because Mr. Boyfriend wasn’t wild about it (he doesn’t like foodie scents), but honestly I think a bigger candle would be too overwhelming for a small space. A good way to describe this scent is if you’ve ever had a jelly bean assortment that has the popcorn jellybeans, you know they sort of take over the scent of the others, but you can still smell a general cloud of sweetness around your popcorn – that’s what this candle smells like.
Oceanside – Watery greens, cucumber, melon, peony petals.
Not a whole lot to say about this one really…it’s pleasant and cool, but not in your face. Kind of like *gasp* the scent of the beach. I will say though this does not have the beachy-oceany vibe at all. I like it, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the ocean. *shrug* Whatever, Slatkin! It feels very “spa day” to me.
14.5 oz 3-Wick Candles (2/$20 and any after 2 are $10 ea. reg. $19.50 ea.) 30-45 hour burn time
Poppy Sunshine – red poppies, lemon, raspberry, white musk
I normally wouldn’t say I’m into florals, but this shopping trip proved otherwise didn’t it? :) I have no idea how perfumers do it, but this smells like sunshine! You can smell the warmth. The fragrance reminds me of sipping lemonade outdoors. As with the others I picked, this is NOT an in-your-face fragrance at all, but light and pleasant.
First Bloom – dewy pear, peony petals, water lotus, sweet apple blossom
Noticing a pattern? I am. I like fruity florals! I love the smells in the produce section of the grocery store, especially the fruits. The apple and pear in this candle come singing forward, but without being overly sugary. It’s like sniffing the fruits in the grocery store– very subtle but very fresh and pure. The floral notes in First Bloom are subtle enough that you don’t feel like you just walked into a damn flower shop, but they’re prominent. By the way if you like that sorta thing, there is also a candle called Flower Shop, too. Go buy that one. :)
Honeysuckle – sweet honeysuckle, pink peony, freesia, and a touch of vanilla
OH. EM. GEE. I’m kinda-sorta obsessed with the scent of honeysuckles. It’s a very nostalgic thing for me; growing up our house had thousands of them in the backyard and the smell brings me back to being a kid. I can definitely smell the freesia in here too, which is another one of my favorite notes (their Sheer Freesia classic scent is gorgeous). I told Mr. Boyfriend this fragrance is like crack to me. So glad I got the giant one. I have a mini Wild Honeysuckle edt around here somewhere I think, too. If you like honeysuckles, GET THIS. It’s a sweet, bright floral without being so sweet it makes you want to run for the hills. ;)
Well that’s it for today’s haulage. I got a coupon too for the semi-annual sale, which starts mid June. The B&BW semi-annual sale is legendary! There were some other candles that I liked but refrained from purchasing just because I didn’t want to go too crazy. I really plan on getting a 3-wick of the Pink Sangria candle with a quickness during the sale. I have a mini and it’s delicious but just doesn’t have a whole lot of throw. I want a BIG Pink Sangria! :) I also really liked Pineapple Punch. Slatkin & Co. does really great fruity candles. I have Juicy Nectarine and Island Nectar and they’re both mouth-watering. Mr. Boyfriend liked Sea Spray and Beach Grass, so I may get one or both of those eventually too.
There were a few that were just wrong and are on my list to avoid. It’s on clearance, but don’t be tempted by Paradise Daiquiri. It sent Mr. Boyfriend gagging and retreating to the other side of the display. It smelled pretty synthetic and almost cough syrup-like to me. Orchard Petal was also on the clearance shelf, and possibly because it’s so light I could barely smell anything! If you like sweet scents, you might also be interested in Ice Cream Shop, but to me it just smelled like burned sugar – and strongly at that. Eeek!
Pineapple Punch sounds wonderful :) I tend to like fruity candles or foodie ones. Right now I’ve got a bunch of mango / tropical ones.
I loooove mango anything – flavor, scent, etc. Yummy! Where do you get yours??
Yum yum yum!!
Lovely post. Thanks for sharing.
My favorite thing is to have a hot bath and light some candles at the end of the day. I am definitely going to try the Honeysuckle one. Sounds beautiful.
nice